Hard Start

[Doorpro]

Hi all,

I was here last year with a rattle in my Cummins Starboard motor and with a great deal of help from here that problem was solved.

1999 Diamond C Series Loud Rattle – Cummins Marine Forum (sbmar.com)

I only have one issue now and that is that when one of the mechanics was aboard he suggested that the rattle was the valves and of course it wasnt but I let him adjust them and since that day it has been harder to start than the Port motor which starts the moment the button is touched.

The Startboard motor does start but it takes about five seconds which is annoying and i was wondering if poorly adjusted valves will caus this.

Regards and thanks,

Doug.

Topic

[Doorpro]

Tried again

Hi guys,

I have just tried priming the fuel button after leaving it for a few days. I have been re-reading the posts and wanted to see if it would now take more pumps to prime and return fuel to the tank and it literally took the one press and it returned fuel. Sorry to keep on here but I am learning all this as we go.

Thanks Guys,

Doug.

[Doorpro]

Rob,

the motor takes the same time to start wether or not the primer is pressed and the fuel starts to return to the tank immediately. My bad before as I was waiting for a the primer not to move any more as I misunderstood.

Doug.

[Rob Schepis]

Once you hear the squeak and the fuel returning to the tank that’s it, there’s nothing more that the thumb primer will do other than keep squeaking the fuel by.

Did it squeak and return fuel immediately or did it take a bunch of presses like what happens when you replace a filter?

Does the amount of time the engine remains un-started effect how long she takes to fire?  (without using the primer)

[Doorpro]

Any thoughts now

Have done as asked. Any thoughts on what happened, please!

[Doorpro]

To be clear

Just to be clear i stopped pumpimg the button and about 30 pumps as it wasnt getting hard and was going to let me keep pumping for ever. It just kept squeeking and I could hear fuel dripping back into the tank. Thank you all.

[Doorpro]

Hey guys,

ok, I have now pushed the fuel lever solonoid as as before it clicked up and stayed. Then I started to pump the push/prime button and i gave up trying to get it to stop/hard at about 30 pushes. I did hear something going on in the fuel tank like fuel trickling back in to it but the button never got hard or fully primed I feel. I then went up to the flybridge and started the motor which is now back to the 5-6 second cold start so I’m guess that I am losing fuel prime.

Thanks again guys, I look forward to thoughts and hoping that now i’m understanding more that were getting close.

Regards,

Doug.

[Doorpro]

Ok then

I will get back as soon as I can get to the boat, it should be Wednesday or Thursday. Thank you all again.

[Doorpro]

Pic #1

Sorry but the first pic didnt go. here we go…

[Doorpro]

I think this is it

Hi again guys, firstly thanks for hanging in there with this cause I aint no mechanic. However I went back and got photos and i think that the picture #2 is of the “push prime button” at least it does press down. if I get a yes on that I will go back and re-start the procedure now that I think that I understand. Regards, Doug.

[bluebyu]

I suggest; post a picture/pictures of the left side of the starboard engine.  Ensure photos are to the left and below the fuel solenoid.

In this area is a lift pump with a primming button on it. (see attached photo from Tonys site)

Once the members see your photos, they can help you do what Tony asked in his second post. (I suggest only doing the priming step)

You may be loosing fuel prime. 

Once you understand where the prime button is I would suggest:

1. Push prime button until it is hard (take a mental note of how long it took to get hard)
2. Start the engine with out doing anything else (just like you start the port)
3. Report back results

Hope this helps

[Doorpro]

Here’s what I did.

Rob, 

as suggested I turned on the ignition and pushed the fuel solonoid in and it imediately clicked and stayed in place. I then went up to the flybridge and pushed the level to full throttle and the motor started right up as you said with no “cold start” and of course I pulled it down quickly. After a while I turned the motor off and let it cool off a tad before starting it again and of course being that the motor was warm she started right up. I then tried to start the motor this past weekend and she wouldnt start at all and the hard start that was around five seconds went on for thirty seconds and wouldnt start until I pushed the throttle to full and then she started but my issue is that it has gotten worse and i am no mechanic so it bothered me. Thanks.

[Rob Schepis]

Please elaborate on what you did that I suggested?

[Doorpro]

Even worse

Ok, I now need a mechanic because after doing what Rob had suggested the motor will now not start until I give it full throttle. Before it took about five seconds to start and now it cranked for about thirty seconds befoe I gave up. Thanks Rob.

[Rob Schepis]

White Wire / Suck-In Mode

 This is a very short intermittent use “coil” and is only designed to stay energized while the engine is trying to crank/start.

[Doorpro]

Hmm

Rob, is the “suck in” supposed to happen when the key is turned on or when the engine is cranked because when the start button is pushed the “suck in” is immediate. Doug.

[Rob Schepis]

Seems your solenoid itself or the wiring circuit is not functioning as to the “suck in” feature but the “hold” feature is doing it’s job.

Fuel Shutoff Solenoid Wiring 101

 

[Doorpro]

Finally

Tony,

I finally got down to check out your last suggestions and did as you said. The fuel lever solonoid locked in place immediately on the first push but i couldnt find out where to “Push the fuel primer as many times as it takes to make the injection pump return valve “squeak”.. ” So I went up to the fly bridge and started the engine with “full throttle” and it started almost immediately. Now, I dont know what all this means and I’m sure that I need to do something to ensure that she starts up like this next time without having to do those steps. Anyway I want to thank you for your help so far and future help if you can let me know what this has told you.

Regards,

Doug.

[Tony Athens]

Solenoid,  AND lift pump priming “squeak”,  & full 100% throttle—————-All of them as I said 

Don’t rethink this, just do it as asked. 

“no mechanic needed” for this

[Doorpro]

Will have that looked at

Tony, Brand new batteries and both motors kick over at the same pace so hopefully thats ok. Relatively new fuel with injector addative to clean fuel and injectors as well as keep fuel good in winter although So Cal is generally always warm. So I’ guess that I need to look to the fuel lever solonoid. I am having trouble finding a good marine mechanic here and the last guy on board wanted to tear everthing apart looking for the rattle and wanted over 11k to do it. Robbing bastard.  Regards, Doug.

[Tony Athens]

Looked over your exhaust–Nothing suspicious there.

 

It basically takes 3 things to start your engine:

1. good cranking speed (150 RPM is the spec)
2. heat– good compression & cranking speed gets you that 
3.  fuel– 

This it what I’d do next time it’s been a few days since the suspect engine has run

Ign on – lift the fuel lever solenoid on the engine up and see it it locks in place 100% at the top. If any rust on the linkage, lube all with WD-40 or equal and work the linkage a few times to be sure it is smooth working

Push the fuel primer as many times as it takes to make the injection pump return valve “squeak”..   GIVE the engine 100% fuel throttle (internal rack needs to  at full stop, not 90%)–  crank the engine and see if that makes it start faster.. The second it starts, just back off the throttle.

 

 

[Author]

Replies